Abstract: There is provided a microscope device comprising: a microscope objective (18), a sample stage (12) for holding a sample (16) and moving the sample in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the microscope objective, a light source (20) and an illumination pattern generator unit (22) for illuminating the sample with a line-type illumination pattern, an area-detector detector (40, 44) for detecting light from the sample collected by the microscope objective, a scanning unit (24) for moving the illumination pattern in a scanning direction across the field of view, wherein the scanning direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the illumination pattern, and a control unit (42) configured to selectively operate the microscope arrangement in a normal magnification mode or in a lower magnification mode, wherein in the lower magnification mode the sample is moved in a direction antiparallel to the scanning direction while the illumination pattern is moved across the field of view by the scanning unit

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for generating microscopic layer images of 3-dimensional fluorescent objects, the layer images being largely freed from interference signals from other planes. A first region of a sample is subject to a regular illumination pattern formed by a plurality of light islands, with spacing such that the excitation intensity outside the island regions approaches zero. The emission signal emitted by the sample is detected to generate a raw image of the region. The raw image being subject to interpolation of first interference signals from regions outside the illumination islands. Generating a 2-dimensional interference signal map from the interpolated interference signals; and, generating an emission image, freed from interference signals, of the object by subtracting the 2-dimensional interference signal map from the detected emission signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for generating microscopic layer images of 3-dimensional fluorescent objects, the layer images being largely freed from interference signals from other planes. A first region of a sample is subject to a regular illumination pattern formed by a plurality of light islands, with spacing such that the excitation intensity outside the island regions approaches zero. The emission signal emitted by the sample is detected to generate a raw image of the region. The raw image being subject to interpolation of first interference signals from regions outside the illumination islands. Generating a 2-dimensional interference signal map from the interpolated interference signals; and, generating an emission image, freed from interference signals, of the object by subtracting the 2-dimensional interference signal map from the detected emission signal.

Abstract: A microscope device includes an objective (1); an actuator (6) for adjustment of a distance in a focusing direction z, an absolute z-position detector (7) for measuring a z-position. The device further includes an autofocus light source (11); a first optical arrangement (12, 13) for generating a focused spot (31) of autofocus light from the light source in the backfocal plane (14) of the objective (1) at a position offset from the optical axis of the objective by a lateral offset distance (d) The objective generates a collimated incoming beam (22) of autofocus light, which is directed at an oblique angle (?) relative to the optical axis (15) of the objective onto the substrate. The microscope may further include a second optical arrangement (13, 16) for generating collimated outgoing beams (34, 35) of autofocus light and directing the collimated outgoing beam onto a detector-array (17).

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for enabling observation of a fluorescent sample with a microscope, the device including a disk-shaped body rotatable around a central axis of the disk-shaped body, including microoptical elements or microlenses for spot-generation, and, optionally, microoptical elements or microlenses for condensing emission-spots and enabling super resolution imaging of the sample. The device may further include additional pinholes for spatial filtering of the emission light, but not affecting the excitation light.

Abstract: A method for acquiring microscope-images of sample being larger than a field of view of a microscope, the method comprising creating a continuous relative movement between a sample and the microscope, wherein the optical axis of a microscope objective is substantially perpendicular to the vector of the relative movement, illuminating a part of the sample through the microscope objective, wherein the illuminated part of the sample is smaller than the field of view and forms an illumination slit, moving the illumination slit in a scanning direction across the field of view, and detecting light from the sample collected by the microscope objective, wherein the sample is moved in the same direction as the scanning direction or in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction while the illumination slit is moved across the field of view.

Abstract: There is provided a microscope device comprising a microscope objective (12), a first light source (18) for transmitted light illumination of the sample (16) with light within a first spectral range and a second light source (20) for transmitted light illumination of the sample with light within a second spectral range different from the first spectral range, a tube lens (22) for forming a sample-image from the light collected by the microscope objective, a first camera detector (32) for detecting light within the first spectral range, a second camera detector (34) for detecting light within the second spectral range, a dichroic beam splitter (24) in the image beam path (26) between the tube lens and the detectors, and an analyzer unit (44), The beam splitter reflects light within the first spectral range onto the first detector and transmits light within the second spectral range onto the second detector, and wherein the analyzer unit is configured to combine a first image of the sample recorded by the first

Abstract: There is provided a microscope device comprising: a microscope objective (18), a sample stage (12) for holding a sample (16) and moving the sample in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the microscope objective, a light source (20) and an illumination pattern generator unit (22) for illuminating the sample with a line-type illumination pattern, an area-detector detector (40, 44) for detecting light from the sample collected by the microscope objective, a scanning unit (24) for moving the illumination pattern in a scanning direction across the field of view, wherein the scanning direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the illumination pattern, and a control unit (42) configured to selectively operate the microscope arrangement in a normal magnification mode or in a lower magnification mode, wherein in the lower magnification mode the sample is moved in a direction antiparallel to the scanning direction while the illumination pattern is moved across the field of view by the scanning unit

Abstract: There is provided a microscope device comprising a microscope objective (12), a first light source (18) for transmitted light illumination of the sample (16) with light within a first spectral range and a second light source (20) for transmitted light illumination of the sample with light within a second spectral range different from the first spectral range, a tube lens (22) for forming a sample-image from the light collected by the microscope objective, a first camera detector (32) for detecting light within the first spectral range, a second camera detector (34) for detecting light within the second spectral range, a dichroic beam splitter (24) in the image beam path (26) between the tube lens and the detectors, and an analyzer unit (44), The beam splitter reflects light within the first spectral range onto the first detector and transmits light within the second spectral range onto the second detector, and wherein the analyzer unit is configured to combine a first image of the sample recorded by the first

Abstract: There is provided a microscope device comprising: an objective (1); an actuator (6) for adjustment of a distance between the objective and a sample (3) in a focusing direction z during a focusing action to reach and hold a desired focus position, an absolute z-position detector (7) for measuring a z-position of the actuator in the focusing direction, an autofocus light source (11); a first optical arrangement (12, 13) for generating a focused spot (31) of autofocus light from the light source in the backfocal plane (14) of the objective (1) at a position offset from the optical axis of the objective by a lateral offset distance (of), such that the objective generates a collimated incoming beam (22) of autofocus light, which is directed at an oblique angle (13) relative to the optical axis (15) of the objective onto the substrate; and a second optical arrangement (13, 16) for generating collimated outgoing beams (34, 35) of autofocus light from the collimated incoming beam as reflected by a substrate surface (

Abstract: A system for confocal observation of a sample, having a mask, which is arranged in both an illumination beam path and in an image beam path and which is rotatable around a central axis, openings arranged in a pinhole plane, an arrangement of focusing micro-optics aligned with the geometric arrangement of the openings of the mask to generate a focal pattern, and an optical assembly with an objective, and which is configured to image the focal pattern onto the sample for generating an illumination pattern moving across the sample and to collect light from the sample by the objective and to image it onto the openings of the mask for confocal filtering. The focal plane and pinhole plane are separated by a distance and the optical assembly has a path length difference compensation arrangement which is selective with regard to the illumination light and the light collected from the sample.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microscope arrangement provided with: a microscope (10) having at least two optical outputs (12, 14) for outputting a fluorescence signal and a switching arrangement (16) for switching the output of the fluorescence signal between the optical outputs; a beam splitter arrangement (18); optical elements (28, 30) for generating a separate partial beam path (24, 26) associated with each output in such a way that the respective fluorescence signal of each of the outputs is superimposed at the beam splitter arrangement after passing through the respective partial beam path; and also at least two optical detectors (20, 22), wherein for each of the partial beam paths, one of the detectors is located behind the beam splitter, seen from the microscope, in reflection and another of the detectors is located behind the beam splitter arrangement, seen from the microscope, in transmission.

Abstract: A microscope has an objective, a light source illuminating a sample over an illumination beam path, an arrangement producing a flat illumination pattern which is structured in both spatial directions on the sample, a surface detector detecting light coming over one picture beam path, an arrangement shifting the illumination pattern on the sample in one displacement direction, and a control unit taking one picture at a time of the light which was detected by the detector as phase picture in different positions of the pattern along the displacement direction and to computationally reconstruct from these phase pictures an overall picture of the illuminated sample region. The displacement direction is oblique to the main axes of symmetry of the illumination pattern and depending on the illumination pattern is chosen such that the number of phase pictures which is necessary for the picture reconstruction corresponds to the theoretically minimally required value.

Abstract: A system for confocal observation of a sample, having a mask, which is arranged in both an illumination beam path and in an image beam path and which is rotatable around a central axis, openings arranged in a pinhole plane, an arrangement of focusing micro-optics aligned with the geometric arrangement of the openings of the mask to generate a focal pattern, and an optical assembly with an objective, and which is configured to image the focal pattern onto the sample for generating an illumination pattern moving across the sample and to collect light from the sample by the objective and to image it onto the openings of the mask for confocal filtering. The focal plane and pinhole plane are separated by a distance and the optical assembly has a path length difference compensation arrangement which is selective with regard to the illumination light and the light collected from the sample.

Abstract: A microscope has an objective, a light source illuminating a sample over an illumination beam path, an arrangement producing a flat illumination pattern which is structured in both spatial directions on the sample, a surface detector detecting light coming over one picture beam path, an arrangement shifting the illumination pattern on the sample in one displacement direction, and a control unit taking one picture at a time of the light which was detected by the detector as phase picture in different positions of the pattern along the displacement direction and to computationally reconstruct from these phase pictures an overall picture of the illuminated sample region. The displacement direction is oblique to the main axes of symmetry of the illumination pattern and depending on the illumination pattern is chosen such that the number of phase pictures which is necessary for the picture reconstruction corresponds to the theoretically minimally required value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microscope arrangement provided with: a microscope (10) having at least two optical outputs (12, 14) for outputting a fluorescence signal and a switching arrangement (16) for switching the output of the fluorescence signal between the optical outputs; a beam splitter arrangement (18); optical elements (28, 30) for generating a separate partial beam path (24, 26) associated with each output in such a way that the respective fluorescence signal of each of the outputs is superimposed at the beam splitter arrangement after passing through the respective partial beam path; and also at least two optical detectors (20, 22), wherein for each of the partial beam paths, one of the detectors is located behind the beam splitter, seen from the microscope, in reflection and another of the detectors is located behind the beam splitter arrangement, seen from the microscope, in transmission.

Abstract: A microscope device having dual emission capability, wherein detrimental effects of image-aberrations and -distortions are reduced. By providing the means for reflecting the one beam in a manner so as to invert its handedness and the means for reflecting the second beam in a manner so as to preserve its handedness, a fully symmetrical configuration is obtained, where corresponding image points in both color/polarisation channels all experience the same field-dependent aberrations.

Abstract: A microscope device having dual emission capability, wherein detrimental effects of image-aberrations and -distortions are reduced. By providing the means for reflecting the one beam in a manner so as to invert its handedness and the means for reflecting the second beam in a manner so as to preserve its handedness, a fully symmetrical configuration is obtained, where corresponding image points in both color/polarisation channels all experience the same field-dependent aberrations.

Abstract: There is provided a microscope device comprising: means for creating a collimated beam of light collected from a sample and comprising at least a first spectral range and a second spectral range, means for separating the collimated beam into a first beam containing a higher percentage of light of the first spectral range than light of the second spectral range and a second beam containing a lower percentage of light of the first spectral range than light of the second spectral range, means for reflecting the first beam, means for reflecting the second beam, means for combining the first beam and the second beam, a detector, and means for imaging the combined first and second beam onto the detector in order to create an image of the sample on the detector, wherein the means for reflecting the first beam and the means for reflecting the second beam are arranged in such a manner that the image created by the first beam and the image created by the second beam are shifted relative to each other on the detector, w

Abstract: A microscope device comprising a microscope objective and a plate-like body limited by a flat top face and a flat lower face essentially parallel thereto, with the microscope objective being connected to the plate-like body, and with a portion of a beam path of the microscope device extending above and/or below the plate-like body, wherein another portion of the beam path of the microscope device extends, essentially parallel to the top face and the lower face, within a recess within the plate-like body.